Unordinary Reality
by Emiko Merodi
Summary: [See inside for summary]-As you play unto the world, 'The World' plays unto you.
1. Default Chapter

Akiko Ire...

When Akiko was only 12 her life came to a jeering halt. One of her best friends had run away from home, trying to escape the clutches of his haphazard and wasted life. The life of Takai. His father left him when he was young, just like Akiko's had, but he was an only child unlike his childhood companion sense birth. Akiko had an older brother who was also like a brother to him. They grew up as close as any friend could be until Takai started to stray... Drugs over took him, appealing desires coursed through his veins and rebellion shown through his eyes and he lashed out at his mother, finally sending her to a mental institute and dropping him off at his uncle's. After a year she picked him up and whisked them away to another state. Takai's drug addictions became much worse and the 15-year-old was thrown into the hands of a group of 19-year-olds who took him to her home city. Akiko was now 14 and a freshman in high school when she found out her now 15-year-old adoptive brother and semi-crush had done all these things. It had almost 2-3 years sense any contact at all.

Another rumor spread that not only was he near her but he also was a player in 'The World', a futuristic, virtual game that had been the rave of late. She got her own account and looked all over for her companion, leveling up and trading information with friends. One cloaked figure caught her attention. Their information was traded with other knowledge that she gave them willingly, doing anything to find him. One day her 'source' told her that he had found him. She was more then happy to come with. But when they arrived at their destination point...there was nothing but darkness, and she turned to ask where he was when only a fading shadow answered: **(These are some little snippets from the story)**

"He's here...look closely...deep within you...look...but when you do...you shall pay a price..."

She shifted nervously. The air around them became cold and thick, wrapping her in a shroud blanket of mystery and enigma. Everything felt so cold...so...real...to real for even 'The World'...

"You shall pay...with your life..."

The eerie voice slithered away into the depth of unknown and left her alone with those last words hanging on the air. What did he mean pay with your life? 

Wondering if Takai was really there she parted her lips. An inaudible sound squeaked form her throat. Lungs constricted and everything around her went black, slipping from consciousness...slowly eating away at her..._WHAT'S GOING ON! This is to real! Everything going, I can't log off, I'm dieing...Takai...help me..._

Darkness....

~~

Someone shook Akiko's shoulder gently. Her head tilted back, rolling over her shoulder and then her chin rested in the hallow of her collarbone. Another shake and a light pierced her senses and flooded everything, coming so fast that she yelped in pain, her head throbbing. And her eyes snapped open.

~~

"I-I'm not an angel.", the silver-haired boy in front of her mumbled, a faint blush on his cheeks which accented the red streaks there.

Akiko's eyes were wide and she couldn't help but gawk at the person pacing aimlessly in front of her. He was tall, lanky with a staff held between flexed fingers. His knuckles were white from their tight grip and his robe was an earthy brown as well as the hat on his head. How much he looked like her Takai, but of course some difference. This boy's eyes were a little larger then Takai's and Takai's were a dark brown, almost pit less black. But even though the color and size differed the same smiling and uncertain look glowed from them and she felt her heart warm. The stranger's lengthy hair was a platinum silver, the style the same as her companion that she searched for, but his hair was charcoal black with blue streaks if she could remember. 

But then everything came back and she was alone with a boy in 'The World', thought she had died and cannot log out of the virtual system. Oh shit...

What's going on? Who is this silver-haired stranger with solemn expression and shy attitude? Well you kinda know already but ahah...oh well...Who was the person that tricked poor Akiko and how can she get out? Tsukasa travels looking for the same way out.

Ok, ok, NO. N-O, this ABSOLUTELY not a Tsukasa/OC fic! Akiko is only a girl I created that he befriends on his journey. They get to know each other well BUT NOTHING HAPPENS. And furthermore, Akiko is not the most important person in this fic. She isn't almighty powerful. In fact, she's like a sidekick person. Take Zell form FF8 for instance! He's cool, he's funny, but he's not the leader, not the most powerful but everyone loves hiiiiim! Er...Well, that's just an example. She does have a seemingly itsty-bitsy-smoochy-woochy 'lil part concerning her search for her lost koi, Takai. Ok, koi isn't a good word, they're only 14/16 ( he's 16 now) and they were only CLOSE friends before he left. I also hate Akiko and I love her. I've never had a hate/love relationship with my chars I make, I only have LOVE-LOVE! Well, I like her personality on things and I sometimes hate them. It just makes her ever more...original? I donno...But she is not a Mary-sue! So don' yell at me pleeeeease! Tsukasa is the most important one! Teeeee-heeeee! It's kinda like putting your own char in a roleplaying game which .hack//SIGN is and is a role-playing anime... Um, R&R if I should continue and if I should I will on Saturday after .hack//SIGN premiers on Toonami at 3:00 P.M. central/pacific. K,k? *sighs and puts on shield armor incase she has heavy objects thrown at her.* And if you want you can put your own char in here. First 5 reviews will be chosen. *puts on metal hat and sits behind a wall* If I choose you then e-mail your profile at daisuke_fangrrl2000@yahoo.com with you profiles stating name, age, weapon, blah-blah-de-blah. Ja...*curls up and covers head with hands* 

Ready.set.FLAME OR REVIEW! 


	2. Prolouge

"Hey! C.B.!" A young girl cried; her voice carried on by swift winds. Granulated sand shifted around in a hurried whirlwind. Her name was Akiko Ire. But in "The World" she was known as either Akiko or 'N.N.T.'. It stood for Namida no tenshi. Angel's Tear. Her story was a very sad one indeed. Apparently one of her friends was in a lot of trouble. He had a very troubled life and ran away from home. Someone had said that he had an account there. No actual name of the player that resembled Takai was stated so she got her own account on 'The World' and spent almost all her time there, searching and yearning for her lost friend that she missed so. But her goal was not to become a Wave Master. Or Silver Guard or Crimson/Scarlet or anything. She came to find something. To get away from her lonely world and escape to "The World." Was she prepared for the consequences...?

"C.B.! Matte!" Akiko called out again and raced toward her online friend in the distance. Akiko was semi-tall, about 5'8"-5'9". Her strawberry, sun kissed hair was fastened into a bun at the back with an odd hairclip. Loose locks frizzled out over her dull gray, hazel irises and an odd mark on her forehead that matched the two on her shoulders. It resembled the sign for a Leo but on one side there were 3 dots and slash mark on the other. She wore a green-blue tube top and on her arms were shirtless sleeves that tied with ribbons and went past her hands. (Think Yuna from FF10's sleeves yet there is a wide opening where her hands are.) On her waist was a navy blue mini skirt with black spandex shorts under them that reached to her knees and hefty boots. But the most remarkable attribute were the 3 balls floating above her head. Nothing was attached to them and spikes shot out the side from each one.

Her friend, C.B., was a short little girl, 4'11", with lengthy blonde hair that fell to the middle of her back with 3 buns set on top and two loose pieces of lavender tresses veiled her eyes. Her skirt was long, blue-violet and had a slit from the middle of her thigh, down. A chain sat loosely around her slim middle, adorning small crescent-shaped charms. Her shirt had long sleeves and calf-length boots padded softly in the ground as she turned around to address her friend with a goofy smile. Slivers of silver rested under her eyes and on her forehead like a scythe or moon crescent. "Akikoooo-chan! Any luck today?" She asked happily and ran over to her companion with a scepter-like blade in hand. 

Akiko eyes fell toward the ground. It had been 3 months now sense she started playing. No such luck of finding Takai. "Iie, Chibi." C.B.'s full username was Chibi Bliss. "I'm still trying though." Akiko fingered her Fang of Baelin, a weapon the seemed like two daggers fastened together like fangs. (http://www.serratedsmiles.com/Fang%20of%20Baelin.jpg) (A/N: *squeaky voice* It's *so* _beautiful!)_

C.B. sighed exasperatedly and twirled her staff lazily. She had meet Akiko long ago when she first came here, looking for this 'Takai', a childhood friend long ago. He seemed familiar but she had never faced Player Killer or regular foe by that name. Ah, at least it gave them something to do! 

Akiko peered at the westward sun that set over the horizon. Gold swathed the lingering clouds. It was getting dark in the time of "The World." They both should log off soon. 

C.B. noticed this too and glanced over her friend's shoulder with a perplexed look. "Hey. You think that Wave Master is here on this server?"

"Hm?" Akiko stared straight ahead, her thoughts drifting.

"Ya, know. That Ts-...er...Tsukasa guy that had actually PHYSICALLY hurt a Silver Knight or whatever. The one found unconscious by his computer terminal." The small girl visibly shuddered. "C'mon, we should hurry and leave. I'll see ya later, ne?"

The redhead nodded and closed her eyes. Tomorrow. Tomorrow was a new day with new possibilities. She'd find him. She would. 

~~~

Nooooo way. Akiko glimpsed around furtively, fingering her two fanglike daggers out of habit. Someone had posted on the message board that they had seen him. Her Takai. It had been 2 1/2 years of contact and her abdomen tightened. The name that posted it read 'Kurai.' _Oooh.... _She drawled sarcastically. _Darkness. How...reassuring. _Judging by the name and how vague it was this person had to pulling her leg. It seemed to risky.

Their meeting place was quiet in a desolate server with trees surrounding the place in a thick grove as the branches intertwined and light seeped through like golden fingers. Everything seemed peaceful and calm; birds chirping and rushing water could be heard.

"Akiko..."

She whirled around with weapon in hand, eyes shifting around. There, standing, or almost floating, in the middle of the grove was a cloaked figure. Dark and menacing; looming above her by a good foot. In one hand was a Rune Blade, it's metal shining in the scarce light that was there. 

"H-hai...I'm Akiko. Are you Kurai?"

A soft chuckle was her answer. It sounded distorted, both female and male, venom dripping like ooze from the hood that masked the stranger's face. "I have seen him. This 'Takai'."

Akiko lowered her blades and strapped them to her belt while taking one cautious step forward. Subtle actions to show no harm and unarmed. "Tell me what you know. I will pay anything." Her voice wavered with uncertainty.

The cloaked figure nodded slowly and flicked his skeleton-thin hand in the air. A swirl of mist appeared and in the mist was a blurry image. There was an unmistakable figure of a boy. His dark hair was covered in a hood and rain soaked him from head to foot.

_Takai..._the young girl reached her hand out and recoiled as if it were hot to touch. A momentary relapse or hesitation and disbelief warned her. "Why should I trust you, dark one?"

The creature before her called back the image. With a chuckle she heard it utter 'smarter then I thought' while cocking its head to one side as if to smile at her wickedly. "I have more. But I need a favor. I am looking for someone too." His gnarled hand reached out to pat her head. She flinched. "We can use this as a tradeoff. You look for this person and I'll help look for Takie."

"Takai." She corrected bitterly and pushed his hand away. He sniffed and waved the same hand dismissively. 

"Is it a deal?"

She hesitated and tried to find some other way of finding him. What other way was there that was as quick as this? "No one...will get hurt, ne?"

He laughed again and nodded. "No one, dear! I don't have the capability to hurt anyone physically in the virtual world." A moment of silence. "Maybe killing and having them start over from their saved point but nothing..._permanent_." The slithery voice hissed.

"Fine..."

"I want you to find where Tsukasa, the Wave Master, is and track him down."

"What!?" She gasped. "I know nothing about him! He might kill me, I'm not powerful enough and I'm no better then a standard fighter! I don't train as hard as other real fighter do-"

"Then I'll fix that..."

"Wha'?"

"Ever had a guardian?"

"My god..."

~~~

TBC...

Hey heeey...um, I should've spent more time on thaaaat...but I didn't and it looks really crappy so...that's it for Dai's BIG intro! Er...Most of it will switch from Dai to Tsukasa until they meet. Er...ya...R&R


End file.
